Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Midwestern LACs are interesting. Carleton and Grinnell far ahead of the pack, as they should be.

Carleton is the best LAC in the country and #1 among PhD producers.

Best LAC is subjective. Top PhD producer only in Chemistry.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/infographics/top-feeders-phd-programs

Wow, why doesn't anyone talk about Reed on here?

Because they don’t play the USNWR game. It’s a better school than its ranking would indicate and rankings are the coin of the realm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Midwestern LACs are interesting. Carleton and Grinnell far ahead of the pack, as they should be.

Carleton is the best LAC in the country and #1 among PhD producers.

Best LAC is subjective. Top PhD producer only in Chemistry.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/infographics/top-feeders-phd-programs

Wow, why doesn't anyone talk about Reed on here?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a NCAA Division I state school in Illinois. I now make six figures. My point? It takes persistence and making the right decisions to reach your goals. I've never had the luxury of going to a top university.

I graduated from a 2 year community college and I make 6 figure money too. So what's the point?

You're making PP's point.

So the point is that college does not matter? I am sure there are people that are making six figures without college degrees at all.
Let's not fool ourselves, folks. Someone who graduated from Harvard has better chance in a more privileged position through his life than someone out of UMD. Statistics is the thing you should look at and it is real. Try your best to go to a better school if you can, and do your best at wherever you end up. No need to argue that the the goal one did not reach is not what he wanted. We all have goals we could not reach, which is fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An advantage of the WSJ/THE rankings are that they include SLACs in the same ranking so you can see where the SLACS fall in relation to larger schools.

So did Forbes. I've heard some say they are like comparing apples and oranges, but in fact students apply to both, so there is merit in combining them.

I actually think Forbes is now the best ranking. The change in methodology in USNWR has had some strange outcomes. I know it remains the gold standard, but at the same time, I don't feel as comfortable using it as a reference point for my kids.

No there isn't. You can buy a new Mercedes hatchback for $85K and drive it to X. You can buy a used Kia Sorrento for $20K to drive to X. Both get you to X. Do you want to waste the $65K in after tax dollars just to get to X in a different vehicle? That's why USN&WR reports public universities in a separate rank. They are supported by the state, for state research, and for the education of the children of the state's taxpayers. Their mission is entirely different from a private SLAC. And since everyone now needs a grad degree, it makes a lot more sense to get to X in a Kia and then buy the Mercedes to get to Harvard Law.

Except that the people who ultimately get into Harvard Law are disproportionately driving Mercedes, to use your analogy. The Kias don't make it to that destination as often.

And tell me why it makes sense to rate public universities against each other like that? You only have residency in one state, so that state's public universities are always going to have a cost advantage against attending a public in another state (where you pay OOS tuition). If you are a Texas resident and can attend the University of Texas in state, how much senses would it really make to attend say, UNC Chapel Hill out of state if it is ranked a bit higher?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An advantage of the WSJ/THE rankings are that they include SLACs in the same ranking so you can see where the SLACS fall in relation to larger schools.

So did Forbes. I've heard some say they are like comparing apples and oranges, but in fact students apply to both, so there is merit in combining them.

I actually think Forbes is now the best ranking. The change in methodology in USNWR has had some strange outcomes. I know it remains the gold standard, but at the same time, I don't feel as comfortable using it as a reference point for my kids.

No there isn't. You can buy a new Mercedes hatchback for $85K and drive it to X. You can buy a used Kia Sorrento for $20K to drive to X. Both get you to X. Do you want to waste the $65K in after tax dollars just to get to X in a different vehicle? That's why USN&WR reports public universities in a separate rank. They are supported by the state, for state research, and for the education of the children of the state's taxpayers. Their mission is entirely different from a private SLAC. And since everyone now needs a grad degree, it makes a lot more sense to get to X in a Kia and then buy the Mercedes to get to Harvard Law.

Actually it's easier to get to Harvard law in the Mercedes. If you can afford both, it's worth it.